Refrigerating apparatus



N 1, 1932. c. F. KETTERING 1,886,339 REFRIGERATING' APPARATUS Filed Dec. 31. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l 15 60 61 18 I N 14 g n l,

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REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 31, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 1, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT orrlcn CHARLES F. KETTERING, OF -DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO FRIGIDATRE CORPORATION.

' OE DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF'DELAWARE BEFRIGERATING APPARATUS Application filed December 31, 1928. Serial No. 329,428.

using solid absorbent and which produces substantially continuous refrigeration.

Still another object of the invention 15 to provide an improved and simplified arrangement of the component parts of the apparatu Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

. Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of a refrigerating system embodying the invention, certain parts being shown in section;

Fig. 2 is a plan of a portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 1

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section of a control valve; 1

Fig. 5 is an enlarged section of a thermostat corresponding to Fig. 3; and

Fig. 6 is a section of the thermostat on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

The refrigerating system shown in the drawings includes two generator-absorbers 10 and 11 each of which is charged with a suitable absorbent, preferably a solid such as calcium chloride or activated charcoal. Each intermittently supplies liquid refrigerant, for example ammonia, to'an evaporator -12 and intermittently withdraws gaseous refrigerant from the evaporator. The generatorabsorber 10 is connected to one end of the evaporator by means of the circuit including the conduit 10a, condenser 10?) and control valve 100, while the generator-absorber 11 is similarly connected to the other end of the evaporator through the conduit 11a, condenser 11b and control valve 110;, When either generator-absorber is heated and the other 59 generator-absorber is simultaneously cooled,

liquid refrigerant is supplied tothe evaporator by the heated generator-absorber and its condenser and gaseous refrigerant is withdrawn from the evaporator by the cooled generatorabsorber. This eventually exhausts the heated generator-absorber of its refrigerant and saturates the cooled generator-absorber with refrigerant. When one generator-absorber has thus been exhausted, the heating and cooling are reversed so that the saturated generator-absorber is now heated to distill refrigerant and the exhausted one cooled to absorb the refrigerant.

Each generator-absorber may be formedin any suitable manner, for example by a pair of' co-axial tubes 14: and 15, the space be tween which is closed by plates 16 to form a substantially annular chamber 17 in which the absorbent is placed. The inner tube 15 forms a flue both for heating and cooling the generator-absorber and for this purpose is provided on its interior surface with fins 18 to increase the rate of heat flowinto or out of the generator-absorber. The outer tube 14 is provided with an inlet and outlet passage 19 for the chamber 17, connected to the conduit 10a or 110;.

The means for heating either generatorabsorber is a burner 22 which may be placed at the lower extremity of the flue provided by the tube 15. The means for cooling either generator-absorber is a flue with which is associated a fan or blower 24; and which may be placed to direct a current of air through the flue 15. As illustrated, the blower is of the centrifugal type having its intake at-the connection 27, but the particular form of air movmg device is immaterial to the invention. The flue includes a stationary portion 25 and a movable portion 26 in the general form of a goose-neck which may be rotated about the connection 27 so that its intakeend28 may register with the flue in either generatorabsorber 10 or 11. The burner is preferably surrounded by and supported in a shield 32 adapted to form an extension of the flue 15. The shield and intake end 28 of the flue are connected to and supported by a plate 34 which is keyed to a shaft 35 journaled in statlonary bearings 36 which are in alignment 100 4 such with the axis of the connection 27. The shaft 35 may be rotated to bring the intake end 28 of the flue in register with either generator-absorber 10 or 11 and simultaneously to bring the burner shield 32 in register with the other generator-absorber 11 or 10.- Fuel is-continuously supplied to the burner 22 through a rotatable connection 38 to a stationary pipe 39 supported in the connection 27. he blower is driven continuously by any suitable mechanism such as a motor 40 and continuously produces a draft through the stationary portion 25, connection 27 and the movable portion 26 of the flue. Preferably both condensers 10b and 116 are mountedin or adjacent to the stationary portion 25 of the flue so as to be always cooled by the draft. The arrangement is such that one generator-absorber and the condenser associated with the other generator-absorber are cooled simultaneously but the air reaches the absorber before passing over the condenser. The reason for this is that a lower temperature may be required in the absorber than in the condenser.

With the parts in the position shown in Fig. 1 refrigerant is being driven off from generator 11 and condensed in the condenser 11?) by the draft through the flue, from which it flows in liquid form through the control valve 110 to the evaporator.

As shown in Fig. 4 the control valve includes a float chamber 44 having a liquid inlet conection 45 and a liquid outlet connection 46, the latter controlled by a valve 47 actuated by a float 48. The float normally closes the valve and prevents communication between the condenser and the evaporator. However, when suflicient liquid refrigerant accumulates in t e float chamber the float is raised to open the valve and permit a quantity of liquid to flowinto the evaporator In order that gaseous refrigerant may be drawn from the evaporator by either absorber the float valves 10c and 110 are each by-passed by aconnection 50 having a check valve 51 which permits gas to flow from the evaporator to the absorber but prevents the fiow of refrigerant in the reverse f direction.

Any suitable means may be used for automatically effecting the intermittent heating and cooling of each generator-absorber in response to the condition of the system. In Figs. 1, 2 and 3 I have shown one form of means. A drum 60 is attached by a ratchet connection to the upper end of the shaft 35 and a. cord 61 is wound upon the drum, passed over a pulley 62 and connected to a weight 63. This weight constantly tends to rotate the shaft counter-clockwise as seen in Fig. 2. Rotation of the shaft is permitted or prevented in accordance with the condition of the refrigerating system by means of a. pair of thermostats 100 and 110 asso- A rod 73 having a head a casing thermally assocontaining a stack of bimetallic plates 72. 74 urged down by a spring 75 passes through the plates and tends to project from the bottom of the casing in the path of the plate 34 when the thermostat is cold. However, when the thermostat is warm the rod is raised out of the path of plate 34 to permit rotation of the plate. The two rods 73 are placed diametrically opposite to each other with the shaft 35 as a center and the plate 34 is provided with a hole 34a which may register with either rod.

Assuming that the thermostat 100 is warm and that that thermostat 110 is cold, the thermostat 100 will withdraw its rod from the path of the plate and the plate will rotate until the rod of the thermostatllO is projected by its spring 75 through the hole 34a. This will lock the plate in the position shown in Fig. 1 so that the generator-absorber 11 will be heated and the generator-absorber 10 will be cooled. As soon as the generatorabsorber 10 is cooled to a predetermined degree its thermostat rod 73 will be urged downwardly against the plate by its spring 75. As soon as the thermostat 110 has been heated to a predetermined degree the rod Will be removed from the hole 34a and the plate will rotate under the influence of the weight 63 until hole 34a comes opposite the rod of the thermostat 100, when the rod w1ll be projected through the opening 34a and lock the plate in such position that the burner 22 is under the generator-absorber l0 and the flue 28 is under the generator-absorber 11.

Thus the thermostats automatically switch the heating and cooling from one generatorabsorber to the other as is required by the condition of the system.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted without departing rom the spirit of the invention. For example, instead of a single refrigerant circuit, as shown in Fig. 1, I rate refrigerant circuits each having own evaporator, the evaporators being refrigerated intermittently to cool continuously a given space.

' What is claimed is as follows:

1. Refrigerating apparatus comprisingin combination a pair of generator-absorbers to be operated alternately, a flue for circulating fi flue h ving a movable portion, a

heater carried by said portion and spaced therefrom, to bring the heater in tion with eith ciated with the generator-absorber shell and circulate air in heat exchange relation with the other generator-absorber.

2t Refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination a pair of generator-absorbers to be operated alternately, a rotatable member adapted in one position to heat one generatorabsorber and to cool the other generator-absorber. means tending constantly to rotate the member, and means responsire to the condition of each generator-absorber for retaining the member in one 'tion and for permitting the member to be rotated to its other position upon the occurrence of a predetermined change in the condition of the same generator-absorber.

In testimony whereof I hereto aflix my signature.

CHARLES F. KETTERING. 

